Heat Treated Sapphire For Sale

Heat treatment of sapphire a layman s simplified explanation of the various levels of treatment sapphire is formed deep down below the earth s surface some 65 kilometres down and comes to the surface in a volcanic explosion in a formation tube or vent.

Heat treated sapphire for sale. Heat treatment takes advantage of this difference by heating the sapphire to a high enough temperature to dissolve the rutile without melting or altering the sapphire. In addition to the actual cutting process gemstones are in many cases subjected to other processes in order to change colour clarity sparkle or also the grindability in a positive sense. Heat treatment in sapphires is legal and acceptable. Heat treated sapphires may show no lines or just at 4500.

In practice rutile actually begins to dissolve at a somewhat lower temperature generally between approximately 1650 1700 degrees celsius and this is the typical temperature. Natural untreated sapphires are far more uncommon and valuable than treated and chemically altered stones. Heat treatment of corundum. Synthetic color change sapphires show a line 4740.

Heat treatment of sapphires. Synthetic green sapphires show lines at 5300 and 6870. Sellers heat or cook sapphires in their rough state before handing them to a gemcutter for faceting. Discover what it means for a sapphire to be treated how to identify them how these processes affect the rarity and integrity of a stone.

Heat treating sapphires is a standard industry practice that improves the clarity and enhances the color of sapphires from gem mountain. Approximately only 0 5 1 of the sapphires discovered are of gem quality without treatment. The key term is untreated meaning a sapphire is natural not lab created and has not been subject to any chemical or heat treatments. Most people prefer the darker color saturation and improved clarity and brilliance of a heat treated stone over the pale pastel color of the average rough sapphire.

Lines rarely seen in kashmir sapphires. Sapphires that are heat treated are still considered natural 100 natural. Natural green sapphires show lines at 4500 4600 and 4700. There is no guaranteed way to predict color changes but according to the gem mountain sapphire mine in philipsburg montana 15 to 20 percent of heat treated sapphires turn yellow or orange.

In absolutely natural condition only the very fewest gemstones are used for jewellery purposes. Some flux grown synthetic sapphires have a faint line at 4500 most not diagnostic.